Of Dragons and Damsels
by Autumnspice
Summary: Fluffy drabble featuring Suspian. Caspian tells a bedtime story like all good fathers do.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is not a crossover with LOTR. Even I'm glad of that. This plotbunny came to life while watching some craptastic interviews of Ben where his comedy routines and impersonations were the only saving grace. Particularly one where he was making a strange noise in regards to children that sounded perfect for a dragon tale that Caspian would tell to his kids. Since Narnia has no dragons that I was able to find, who better than C.S. Lewis's buddy Tolkien for inspiration? Plus Ben also mentioned in another silly interview somewhere his love of the Hobbit so it all works out.

Disclaimer: C.S. Lewis and Tolkien own their respective characters and locations. Everything else is my own creation.

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The king welcomed the reprieve at the end of a long day of endless councils. Sometime after dinner, he found himself sitting on a plush fur rug on the marble floor. Four year old Catalina was curled up in his lap, her head resting in the crook of his arm, and six year old Tristan sat on his haunches facing them. In the rocking chair nearby, Susan held their newborn daughter Selene.

"Daddy, tell the one about Trumpkin and the dragon."

Caspian started to open his mouth and was cut off by his son who was none too pleased at her naivete. "It's Bilbo. And Uncle Trumpkin is a dwarf, not a hobbit."

"What's the difference?"

"Everything."

She stuck out her tongue at her brother.

He looked up at Susan with a raised brow, who only shrugged at him. He never knew if it was a blessing or a curse that he had no siblings of his own. What he did know was that they would certainly have to add proper decorum to the children's studies at some point in the near future. Although judging from what he had witnessed of Susan and her siblings, such behavior had a tendency to linger well into adulthood. Perhaps it was a lost cause to begin with.

"Daddy...story?"

The children were both quite familiar with the tale but loved to hear it again. Uncle Edmund and Peter were both entertaining but none could compare to their father.

Caspian began, "Once upon a time, in a far off land, on the other side of the world, there was a race of creatures known as hobbits. They looked just like a man except they had pointed ears like the fauns and thick hair on top of their feet. And they stood only three feet from the ground. Not terribly different from a dwarf." He winked conspiratorily at Catalina, not missing that Tristan rolled his eyes.

"The hobbit who was a friend of the great magician Gandalf was named Bilbo Baggins, and just like Trumpkin and Trufflehunter, he lived in a hole in the ground. One day, Bilbo and Gandalf headed out on an adventure with the dwarves so they could take back the Lonely Mountain from the dragon that lived there and steal the treasure. Along the way, they planned to stop to visit the elves who would help them out. Before they got there, they were nearly killed by big nasty trolls. Gandalf saved them and turned the trolls into stone."

The children gasped and giggled along with Caspian's expert storytelling. He had facial expressions and sound effects for every detail.

"After meeting Gollum and stealing the evil ring that made him invisible, Bilbo finally met up with the dragon."

He let out a roar which was rather convincing. Catalina and Tristan screamed. She turned her head to bury her face in her father's side for protection. Susan smiled, since she was entertained as well. Yet Selene never stirred.

All of a sudden, the nursery door burst open, startling everyone. The children's nurse, a young Telmarine maiden, barely younger than Queen Susan herself, stood in the doorway in her nightshift, out of breath and eyes wide.

"My apologies, sire. I heard the children scream and feared the worst. I had no idea it was you who caused them. Since all is safe, I will be on my way."

Caspian laughed. "It's quite all right. Stay if you wish." He motioned to the floor with his free hand.

She sat down as he finished the story. Catalina had since fallen asleep in his arms so he managed to stand up and not drop her, tucking her into her bed in the nursery. He leaned down to kiss her forehead and brush away stray espresso curls from her face. Nurse Gisella shooed the monarches out into the hallway.

"Perhaps my king can rescue a damsel in distress from a hungry dragon who wants to devour her?" Susan was such a tease and relished in the fact. Caspian's only reply was a low growl in his throat that sounded a bit like the dragon he portrayed earlier, his lips curled and teeth bared, as he playfully swatted her toward their chambers.


	2. Chapter 2

Susan had been bedridden for most of the day with chills, bodyache and a headache. Catalina and Tristan had both been changed into their nightclothes by their nurse. Selene was sound asleep in the crib in the nursery. They each took one of Caspian's hands and dragged him toward their parents' chambers.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Because Mommy is sick, we want to be with her while you tell a story."

"Yeah Daddy, Mommy needs a bedtime story too." Catalina tugged his arm harder.

Opening the door, the children let go of Caspian and ran toward the big featherbed where their mother was trying to sleep, fitfully. She opened her eyes as the bed rocked back and forth as they jumped onto it, settling on either side of her.

"Daddy, get in."

He laughed and laid down on the free edge of the bed.

"What do you want to hear tonight? Perhaps Sleeping Beauty?"

"Yay!"

"Quiet! Mommy's sick, remember?" Tristan scolded his sister.

Susan's lips twitched, as she started to sit up a bit.

Settling in, Caspian began the story. "Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a princess. The entire kingdom had wished for her to be born. She had been given lots of presents but one that no one wished upon her was that she would prick her finger when she was much older and it would put her into a deep sleep, lasting hundreds of years."

The children were entranced of course. He always knew the best sound effects for the stories and when to use them. Even Susan was captivated by his animated energy. She struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Is that how you got Mommy back? You found her sleeping after killing the ebil dragon and kissed her?" Catalina asked with eyes wide.

"Something like that," he grinned slyly. "Ok, time for bed."

The children protested loudly.

"Come on, let's go. Give Mommy a kiss goodnight."

They each kissed her lips before being carried off to the nursery by Caspian. Catalina was sound asleep in his arms no sooner than they were in the hallway. He tucked both sleeping children in their beds and returned to his own chamber.

Undressing and crawling under the covers, he snuggled up to his sleeping wife. Her eyes still closed, she asked, "So can I have another kiss to wake Sleeping Beauty?"


End file.
